What Causes Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification is a term that describes significant changes to the chemistry of the ocean. It happens when carbon dioxide gas is absorbed by the ocean and reacts with seawater to produce acid. This mechanism is happening in the ocean that over time will affect the coral species.

Ocean Acidification is affecting our life more than we ever thought it would be able to. When people first think about oceans, they don’t see the diversity of life that is in there or how much we depend on those organisms and the ocean itself. We only see this ginormous body of water, where some feel like it’s not a big deal if anything happens to it. Ocean acidification (as defined by NOAA) is “ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, cause by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, this then creates an acid”. Each year the ocean absorbs at least 25-30% of all CO2 from human activity. This can be a huge threat to the diversity of the ocean and the benefits it provides to society. The rate continues to go up, more so than anyone would have thought it would and as these continue to raise the risks we are facing could be bigger than we thought and we could soon be facing a mass extinction.

I think that this video is maybe showing the cause that is the most doable to reach in the ones I have watched yet. Ocean acidification is also a great danger for us. It is because people doesn’t take care of their planet, just as climate changing and overpopulation are. It is horrible, just like the others. But, I think that maybe this one targets more than others specific classes of people. Because the ocean acidification is due in a good part to cellular respiration and the using of gas working machines on land, but not only. The people in the video were saying that 50% of the carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean. Well, I don’t for sure, but I can bet that the gas from boats that discharge tons of it per day in the ocean, it stays more

Ocean Acidification is an ongoing process that changes the chemistry of the ocean by a decrease of pH

Ocean acidification can be defined as the continuous decrease of the pH of Earth’s oceans. This process occurs as a result of the rise in carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. Due to the rapid industrialization of various countries on Earth, humans have become more accessible to energy by utilizing non-renewable resources that are derived from carbon in the ground.

Ocean acidification is caused when the CO₂ from the air enters into the ocean and bonds with sea water creating a toxic acid called carbonic acid. Carbonic acid reduces the natural pH levels of the water which as a result has been increasing the ocean acidity by 30%. This reduces the calcium concentration in the water, making it hard for crustaceans like crabs and prawns to build their shell. This means that they are more vulnerable to predators, and we can all figure out what happens when an entire species is vulnerable to predators. Air pollution is not the only factor that causes the water to become polluted. In fact, there are many more including fertilizer that gets washed into the oceans and also oils spills. According to the Water Project, 783 million people worldwide do not have access to clean and safe water, and according to the Worldwatch Institute, approximately 450 million kilograms of pesticides U.S. farmers use every year have now contaminated almost all of the United States' streams and rivers, and the fish living in them.

Ocean acidification is a phenomenon whereby progressively less alkaline the ocean, the surface waters of the oceans is currently slightly alkaline where the average degree of concentration of hydrogen ions nearly 8.1. And haven't experienced marine acidification rate like this for several million years. ocean acidification due to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolves in the oceans. And this process largely independent of climate, despite the high temperature of the sea

The oceans of the earth are a massive part of the natural cycles that make this planet habitable. They regulate global temperatures, absorb carbon dioxide, provide a home for millions of plants and animals that make up various levels of the food chain, and so much more. They are a resource given for us to use and benefit from, however, it is also a resource that needs to be protected. It is the fountain of life for the planet and drastic changes to the makeup of the oceans could be detrimental to life as we know it. Ocean acidification is a problem which has come to light in the last decade, but is becoming increasingly concerning to many scientists (1). In this essay I will attempt to direct your attention to some of the

The issue on ocean acidification is popularizing but what exactly is ocean acidification? It occurs when carbon dioxide is absorbed in the ocean’s waters from then on a series of chemical reactions take place which lowers the ocean’s water pH, carbonate ion concentration, as well as the saturation states of the calcium carbonate minerals ( “What is Ocean Acidification?”). Since we are addressing the issue on ocean acidification we will touch on the marine creatures that are harmed and will possibly be harmed due to the acidification of the seawater. A background of the chemicals involved as well the beneficial usage of the chemicals will be described in order to address the solution to this environmental problem.

Over the last decade, there has been much focus in the ocean science community on studying the potential impacts of ocean acidification (OA). Ocean acidification describes a change in the ocean’s carbon chemistry which is an emerging global problem. Oceans cover nearly 70 percent of the planet’s surface and play a crucial role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide through the interaction of physical, chemical, and biological processes (Orr, Fabry, Aumont, Bopp, Doney, Feely, ... & Key, 2005). As a result of anthropogenic emissions from fossil fuels, cement manufacturing, changes in land use and other human activities, carbon dioxide levels have built up in the atmosphere (Orr et al., 2005). Excess levels of CO2 then dissolve

The potential impacts of ocean acidification pose several threats on marine organisms and ecosystem processes. Many marine species are sensitive to changes in ocean. The effects of acidification on individual species will have ripple effects throughout the ecosystem. So, species that might not be directly affected by acidification may still be influenced by ocean acidification if their predators or prey are affected by changes in water chemistry. These food web interactions are difficult to predict, and may play out in unexpected ways. Acidification’s potential effects on marine ecosystems are an economic concern as well. These issues need to be addressed because they are all issues today, not the future. Ocean acidification may also be threatening not only marine life but our own way of life as humans. Although ocean acidification may not directly impact specific organisms, it’s impact will have a ripple effect that is felt in our own ecosystem we live in today. Threatening the health of

Ocean acidification is probably the main issue on Earth because it affects the entire planet. We’re blowing all this Carbone Dioxide into the atmosphere that enters into the Ocean and changes the seawater chemistry. I am pretty sure that is we continue on this track many species which lives in the ocean will one day, disappear. Twenty one percent of the air in our atmosphere is oxygen which animal need to survive. At least half of our oxygen comes from phytoplankton in the ocean. We can turn this around, we have the ability on our hand and we are not doing anything. In a hundred years, this planet can be gone. Most of the previous

Ocean acidification and temperature change has recently become a growing concern due to increased levels of anthropogenic CO2. Polar regions maintain a high affinity for the dissolution of atmospheric CO2 into the water due to the cold temperatures. This combined with upwelling of CO2 rich waters provides an environment that is vulnerable to increased ocean acidification as well as warming water temperatures. It is estimated that the annual pCO2 increase of the Southern Ocean has been 2.13±0.64 µatm per year, which is the most rapid ocean acidification in the world (Dawson et al., 2011). The rate of warming in this ocean has been observed at double the rate of global warming and it is predicted that the temperature will increase

Ocean acidification is the process through which acid is formed due to the burning of fossil fuels in modern industrial society and combined with ocean water. There are unwanted gas like carbon dioxide which are now a days increasing due to human activities emission in to the environment and much of the carbon dioxide is absorbed by the oceans and the combination of carbon dioxide emitted when combined with the ocean water, carbonic acid is formed and this will dissociate to form bicarbonate ions and hydrogen ions reducing the PH of the ocean or changing the ocean water in to acid and this process is called ocean acidification.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that we exhale in our daily lives. Plants use carbon dioxide to create oxygen that all mammals use. However, carbon dioxide can also change the chemistry of the ocean, this is often referred to as ocean acidification. The excess carbon dissolves into oxygen in the water, producing a chemical called carbonic acid. This acid causes the ocean to become more acidic. In the eighteenth century, the pH was 8.07 which was slightly basic. Currently, the pH is around 8.01 this is about a twenty-five percent increase in acidity. (National geographic) While this slight change may not seem outrageous, it is causing multiple marine life struggles. The acid melts the shells of pteropods causing a low supply of food that would support larger fish.